Game-board



T. w. STEWART GAME BOARD.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920..

APPLICATION FILED AUG-14,1916.

Witness: Inventor,

UNETE D THOMAS W. STEWART, (3F KALl-KIVEAZGG, MICHIGAN.

GAME-BOARD.

Application filed August 14, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. STEWART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kalamazoo, in the county of Kalamazoo and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Game-Board, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in game-boards on which movable drafts are played, and upon checkered positions or squares-somewhat similar in manner as on chess and checker boards.

The objects of my improvement are, first, to provide a game-board whereby two, three, four or more persons may participate in a game; second, that w'll all ord a variety of games that may, in accordance with varied rules as may be provided therefor, be played thereon; and third, to render intellectual and fascinating recreation and amusement for the players.

These objects I attain by the arrangement illustrated in the accompanying crawing in which- Figure 1, is a general plan, viewed in perspective, of the entire game board;

Fig. 2, is an enlarged vertical sectional view, showing a part of the game board on the dotted line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the views and may be defined as follows:

Numeral 1, indicates the central base or web or the game board; 2, the outer frame or rim secured to said web or base, 1'; 3, center court, also subdivided into, and termed central advance courts; 4, cardinal courts; 5, continuous distributing channel; 6, grooved pocket receptacles; 7, indicator dial plate or card; 8, pivotal hand or pointer; 9, rounded corner or corner segment; 10, crown squares in cardinal courts; 10 crown-squares in central advance courts; 11, star center square in center court, 3; 12, small shaded or solid center squares in center of the common advance squares in central advance courts, 3 being shaded or of the same color as the cardinal court common squares with which. said advance court is respectively allied; all plain white squares are arbitrarily termed neutral squares; while all shaded or solid squares are arbitrarily termed common squares, except the star, center square, 11, which may be considered as Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. d, 1920.

Serial No. 114,697.

the castle, goal or solar center square. The dotted circles indicate movable drafts or pieces used in playing games on said game board.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the plate or playing surface of the game-board which is secured to base or web, 1, is diagrammed into and composed of five courts arbitrarily named and designated as follows: One center court, 8, which is shown composed of twenty-four common, twentyfour neutral and one star-center, 11, checkered squares or positions; and four cardinal courts, l, composed of twelve common and eleven neutral checkered squares each; contig; .ously annexed to the sides of the centercourt, 3, in such a manner as will alternately register the common and neutral squares of the cardinal courts, l, with similar squares of the center or central advance courts, 3, at and on tl e line of intersection or anneXation.

Each of the live courts, 3 and d, is distinctly bounded by heavy border lines and may be readily distinguished or designated one from another by name, color, shade, emblem or any suitable character. For descriptive purposes, however, I have arbitrarily named one of these five courts as follows: Center court, 3, and the four cardinal courts, 4, l have arbitrarily named and designated respectively as, east court, south court, west court and north court, the same as diagrammed, designated, and shown in Fig.1.

The cardinal courts, while all are similar in design and characteristic, yet each is separat d Irom and is non-contiguous to, the othersall however being contiguously joined or annexed one to each of the sides of the center court, 3.

The center court, 3, may be subdivided into four allied central advance courts, which may be made clearly apparent and well defined by considering two imaginary lines,each extending diagonally from one corner to the other or" the heavy boundary line, forming a square around said center court, 3, shown in Fig. 1, with rounded corners; each of the said imaginary lines diagonally passing through six neutral squares, also points of the star in star-center square, 11, crossing and intersecting each other at the center of said star-center square,

11,-thus making four triangle figures with the heavy horizontal border line separating the cardinal courts, 4, from the center court, 3,as the base of said triangular figures thus formed; hence the three neutral squares and six common squares inclosed thereln constitute each of the four above referred to central advance courts,the squares of which form a pyramidal figure, term natlng at the star-center square, 11, and wlth the adjoining upper crown square, 10 as the apex of the said p 'yramidal fi ures, and also of the said respective central advance courts, which are arbitrarily designated respectively as cent 'al east advance court, central south advance court, .central west advance court, and central north advance courteach being respectively identified with and allied to the cardinal court, 4, with which it directly and respectively oins or connects, and from which, accordmg to its respective relation thereto, 1t is partly and arbitrarily named or designated.

Each of the five courts; that is, the center court, 3, and the four cardinal courts, 4, may, if desired, be provided with its separate and distinct color or shade, as is indicated by the shaded common squares in Fig. 1, which may be done by making the said common checkered squares therein all of the same charactertistic color, given to said respective court, as, for instance; the center court, 3, color may be made orange, consequently all common checkered squares or positions in said center court, 3, are

colored or shaded orange color; likewise the cardinal east court, 4, may be yellow; the cardinal south court may be black; the cardinal west court, 4, may be red and the cardinal north court, 4, blue.

Likewise the small plain en'lblem-cross figure in the centers of the crown squares 10 and also the smaller plain square figure 12, in the centers of the common squares in each of the central advance courts, may be made the same corresponding color or shade as the common squares in the cardinal courts with which they may be allied or identified. However, all of the plain emblem cross figures in the center of the crown squares, 10, in all the cardinal courts, 4, may be of the same characteristic color as may be given to the center court which indicates, ac cording to the rules, in some games that may be played on said board, that a center court crown can move only diagonally forward in any cardinal court, but is required to crown on'any crown square, 10, therein, before it can move diagonally backward therein, or reenter said center court. Any other suitable colors may be employed in lieu of those above named, as may be desired-although it is not essential to embody all of these details of color or nonessential elements of shade distinction to render my invention or game practical or operative. They are arbitrarily employed and serve however to make the game board attractive, the differ ent courts plainly conspicuous, and to awaken and inspire the interest of the players.

The center court, 3, that is, its four subdivisions, namely central east advance court, central west advance court, central south advance court and central north advance court, are provided with two crown squares each indicated by small emblem cross in center of said crown s uares, 10 being arranged in perpendicu ar file, line or position, to, and above the cardinal court with which they are allied and terminating at and below the star-center square, 11, with which they are in the same perpendicular file or column, while each cardinal court is provided with four crown squares 10 indicated by a small emblem cross in the center thereof, arranged in horizontal line and be ing the last four common or crown squares, 10, in each of the respective said cardinal courts, 4, as indicated in south court, 4, F 1, which is the same arrangement for all of the other cardinal courts.

The purpose of these crown squares may be explained and made apparent as fol lows :-In commencing a game or contest, uncrowned men or drafts are first moved or advanced diagonally forward only, from one common square to another, from the cardinal court with which they are respectively identified, into the center court, 3, that is, their respective central advance court, where they are maneuvered for strategy, position or crown by 'the contestants; thence into and through each opponent s central advance court, passing diagonally to either the right or left hand side of the'star center square, 11, until it arrives at the opposite side of its respective advance court, from which it started, in case it failed to crown in making this circuit. As uncrowned men can be moved forward only, and are not eligible to reenter either their respective central advance court nor their respective cardinal court, they may be permitted to crown in the adjoining opponents cardinal court before which they may have become stalled. On the other hand, a crown or crowned men may be moved or advanced diagonally forward and iackward the same as a king in checkers, and also eligible to enter and reenter, jump or retire men in any and all of the courts at the option. of the player. Therefore any contestant successfully advancing any of his men on a crown square in his opponents central advance court, and stops thereon as a move, the man or men so advanced, are termed a crown or crowns.

Therefore it will be readily seen that drafts or men cannot be directly moved from or in one cardinal court, 4, to another without first passing through or out of the center court, 3, and crowning therein-unless the rules of a game specifies otherwise with reference to crowning in central advance courts.

The game board is provided with a continuous distributing channel, 5, circling the center diagrammed cardinal courts, 4, outside of their marginal outline as shown in Fig. 1. This distributing channel is also shown as being constructed as follows: The diagram chart or plate, composing both the center and cardinal courts, 3, and a, is made or mounted higher-usually the thickness of a common checker. The continuous outer edge of the diagram chart forms the inner wall of said channel, which is rounded at the corners, 9, to prevent the men from binding on turning the said circle corners, while the outer frame, 2, is also made higher so as to form the outer wall of the channel, andthe space, 5, between the said walls is usually a trifle more than the width or diameter of the draft used in playing, as shown in Fig. 2.

The purpose and convenience of this distributing channel is made apparent as follows z-vVhen opponents retire or jump each others unsupported men as in checkers, from the board during a contest, they are placed in the distributing channel, 5, as shown by dotted circles in said channel, 5, Fig. 1, and during the interim, while the opponents are awaiting their turn to play or move, the retired men in said channel are circulated therein by the players moving them along from one to the other, each opponent removing his men therefrom as they are thus presented before him, placing them in the receptacle or pocket, 6, provided for holding drafts when not in use, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, as indicated by dotted circle in pocket receptacle 6, Fig. 2, and also by dotted position in left hand pocket, 6, of south court, Fig. 1, which is the same in all cardinal courts, and by this means each players men are before him, in their respective courtss receptacle when the game is finished and ready to be arranged on the board in a new or fresh game, thus saving time and also obviating the trouble and occasional annoyance of sorting the men out and passing them over the board when a game is finished.

The pockets, 6, may be made sufficiently large to hold each opponents set of men used in a court, but I have shown two smaller pockets, 6, Fig. 1, arranged one on each side of the indicator, 7, for symmetrical appearance and convenience. These pocket receptacles 6, are shown in. Figs. 1 and 2, to be constructed by making a grooved depres sion in the upper side of the frame, which is made sufiiciently large in width and depth at this point, usually the width of a checker used in playing, and of sufiicient length to hold the entire set of pieces, also extra pieces used in a court, placed therein as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and indicated by dotted circles. I do not limit myself to the particular construction of the pocket receptacles as shown, but hold that any equiva-v direction from left to right or vice-versa.

The purpose of this indicator being a convenience for recording the games or points won by the contestants.

This indicator or register, I have shown constructed between the two pockets receptacles, 6, of each cardinal court, 4, but any departure from this position does not affect the spirit of my invention.

In connection with the game board I have shown in Fig. 1, as a means for playing games thereon movable drafts or common checker pieces, indicated by dotted circles. However any form or, shape of pieces may be employed and the sets may vary in number according to the manner of game played or the number of contestants taking part in a game.

Each set of movable pieces may be of the same corresponding color or shade as the respective cardinal court or the common squares thereof, to which said set respectively belongs. By this means, each players men are prominently distinguished from each other and their position on the board or in an opponents court readily observed during the progress of a game. 7

Having fully described the manner of construction of my game-board, I will now proceed to describe one of the various ways a game may be played thereon, participated in by four contestants, either playing individually and independently of each other; or in two combinations of two contestants each as partners; observing the rules for moving, jumping, taking or retiring men from the board as governing a common game of checkers.

Each of the four contestants takes his position around the game board so that the cardinal court which each selects to represent and play from is directly in front of its player. The contestants then arrange their sets of 13 men each, 12 of which are placed on the common squares of the cardinal court and one on the outer crown square in their respective central advance court contiguous therewith.

The arrangement of the set of twelve men is shown by the dotted circles in south court, 3, and the thirteenth man by dotted circles on crown square 10 in central south advance court, 3, Fig. 1, which is the same position of arrangement for, and in all of the other cardinal courts.

Commencing the first game, the lead or first move usually starts with the south court player first, then passing alternately from right to left around the board until the first game is finished. In commencing a new or fresh game the lead move advances alter- 'nately around the board from right to left,

or from player to player.

Various games may be played on either the common or neutral squares or on both according to the rules devised therefor which does not affect the spirit of my invention.

It sometimes occurs in a game where a player has an opportunity to jump, take or retire a number of his opponents unsupported men and in so doing the uncrowned man with which he makes said jumps lands on one or more crown squares in an opponen s central advance court, but in exercising his option does not stop on a crown square in completing said jumps, this, simply landing on crown squares does not constitute the players uncrowned man so j umping a crown; and also in this way said man in completing jumps or retiring unsupported men often arrives in a circuit passing either to the right or left of the star center square, 11, in front of or before its own respective central advance court. In this way the said uncrowned man is considered to have exhausted his last'or final move and becomes stalled in the opponents central advance court situated either at the right or left of the player of said stalled man as the case may beunless the rules of the game permit said stalled man an opportunity to enter and crown on crown squares, 10, in

central court into four triangles each having an inner side of a 'court as its base and the center of the center court as its apex,

and the alternate squares of the central court having distinguishable marks colored to correspond to the colored squares of the respective side courts, and the alternate colored squares at the edges of the side courts having distinguishing marks colored to correspond to the. colored squares of the adjacent triangle of the central court.

2. A game board comprising a square central court composed of small squares alternately distinguished by color and a substantially rectangular court adjacent each side of the central court composed of small squares alternately distinguished, the central court squares having a plurality of distinguishable colors dividing the central court into a plurality of triangles each having an inner side of a court as its base and the center of the center court as its apex,

and the alternate squares of the central court having distinguishing marks colored to correspond to the colored squares of the respective side courts, and the alternate colored squares at the edges of the side courts having distinguishing marks colored to correspond to the colored squares of the ad acent triangle of the central court.

THOMAS W. STEWVART. 

